


can we pretend that we're in love

by cherryraindrops



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, Well it is now, dating each other as a bet au, is that a tag, this isn't my best but meh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 04:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4592703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryraindrops/pseuds/cherryraindrops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After making a bet with Luke, Michael joins a dating website and tries to find someone to date him. That's when he stumbles across Calum Hood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	can we pretend that we're in love

**Author's Note:**

> I found this on my Word documents, and I don't know why I never posted it?? So here!
> 
> **I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO POST THIS ANYWHERE ELSE ******

Michael was the kind of person to turn anything into a bet. It didn’t matter exactly what the grounds were, if there was something of a challenge involved, he was willing to put some money on the line in order to assure the fact that he was going to win. He started doing that in middle school, when his best friend, Luke, told him that he couldn’t chug three chocolate milks and not throw up. Michael, stubborn and determined, told him that it was possible, betting five dollars that he could.

(He threw up shortly after Luke handed him his money and had to give the money back)

Fast forward a few years later and his behavior hadn’t changed. He still challenges Luke mostly, mainly because his best friend seems to get a kick out of having Michael take up impossible challenges on the terms that he gets money. Usually Michael failed, and Luke was grateful that his bank account was able to grow thanks to his friend’s stubbornness. There were a few occasions where Michael won and Luke had to cough up cash, but most of the time Luke was able to witness his friend make a fool of himself and get paid for it.

When they entered University, they encountered a thing on campus for speed dating. It was stupid of course, and Michael really had no interest in dating someone he’d only known for a short minute. It killed time though, not to mention put off having to do another English essay. (Plus, Luke told him that there wasn’t a chance Michael could get a phone number and Michael had to take that on)

It was during that speed dating that Michael realized something: he missed dating. He’d dated a few people in high school and had a couple of flings during his freshman year of University, but he longed for something that was real. He’d never really had a serious relationship in his nineteen years of living and after going through the speed dating process, it made him realize that he missed having someone to hug and kiss and tell about your day.

That’s how he came across a dating website called ‘SydneyUDate’. It was run through the university, so he was most likely to meet someone he went to school with, which made it easier. At least he was going to meet someone that was close to him location wise.

He was halfway through creating his profile when Luke peered over his shoulder, scoffing. “A dating website? You do realize dating websites are for people in their thirties that are desperate and lonely, right?” He pats Michael’s shoulder before dropping his backpack by his own bed, flopping onto it and pulling out his math book. “If you really want to meet someone, go to the quad once and a while. There’s always someone there to interact with.”

Michael huffs at the suggestion, scrolling through his pictures. “No one I’m interested in Luke, now come over here and help me pick a profile picture.” He clicks on one of the pictures he’d taken last summer and frowns before deleting it. “I need something that makes me looks approachable and hot.”

Luke pushes his books to the side, getting up off of the bed and laughing. “Good luck with that,” he jokes, pulling up his desk chair and looking at Michael’s computer screen. “I don’t think it really even matters what picture you put up, you are not going to meet any cute guys on a dating website.”

At those exact words, something inside of Michael lights up. An amused smile crosses his features and he turns to look at Luke, grin evident. “Lucas Hemmings is that a _challenge?”_

It takes a while for him to catch on, but when he does Luke mirrors Michael’s grin, sticking his hand out. “Twenty dollars, I will bet you twenty dollars that you will not meet a single cute guy on this entire website.” Michael goes to take the challenge, shake Luke’s hand but the blond pulls back. “ _If_ you do meet this so called cute guy, you only get the twenty dollars if you actually go out with him once, not just find him and call it good, alright? It’s only fair.”

Michael nods, shaking Luke’s hand with a smirk. “You are about to be without twenty dollars soon my friend, because I’m good at scoping out hot guys, alright? They magnetize to me, you’ve known this since high school. My personality screams attractive.”

Luke laughs, heading back to his abandoned school books. “Yes, because nothing says attractive like a Pikachu onesie and blue hair.” He squeals once Michael tosses one of the pillows at him, smacking him right in the head.

It began there, just scoping out a dating website to try and find someone cute enough to win this stupid bet with Luke. It couldn’t be that hard, mostly because of that fact that Michael had seen some pretty cute guys around campus and in his classes. There was a good chance some of them were on this website, and if he was lucky enough they were looking for someone like Michael.

After an hour of searching, Michael was about to give up. It was harder than he thought, finding a cute guy that was interested. His finger hovered over the power button of his laptop when suddenly his laptop beeped, signaling a message. There was a little red bubble hovering above his inbox, waiting for Michael to click on it.

What Michael saw was someone that took his breath away.

The guy was cute, definitely cute. Dark skin, black hair formed into a fauxhawk and a large, goofy grin on the guy’s face. He was absolutely gorgeous, and Michael almost squealed when he read the message he had sent.

_CalumHood: Hey cutie ;)_

Michael grinned, adjusting himself in his chair before typing back a response, the smile permanent on his face.

_MichaelClifford: you’re pretty cute yourself ;) surprised to find you on a dating website, someone like you being single has to be a crime_

Michael nods to himself as he hits send. It had been a while since he’d been in the dating game, but he still had it.

_CalumHood: cute and smooth, I like that : ) sadly, there is a lack of gay men here so alas, I am single. Unless you are willing to change that? ;)_

With every winky face attached message Michael was becoming a mess. This boy was charming, flirtatious, and as the night went on Michael found himself actually enjoying talking to him. It was nice to talk to someone that wasn’t Luke, not to mention someone that actually showed an interest in everything Michael liked.

It was around three in the morning when Michael eventually signed off, much to his disappointment. He was content though, because he was going to bed with a brand new phone number saved into his phone and a date set for the very next day.

*

Michael has a problem.

Calum was quite possibly the most beautiful boy he had ever met in his entire life, with a gorgeous smile so big his eyes squinted, lips just begging to be bitten and bruised, and the most adorable personality to wrap it all up. Their first date was fantastic, full of laughs and moments where Michael wondered where someone as funny and beautiful as Calum had been his entire life.

The problem is not that Calum was absolutely perfect for him, it was the fact that it was now three months later and Michael forgot to mention that it was all a bet.

He knows it wrong, he should have mentioned it on the first date and laughed it off. Calum was one to think it would be hilarious, the fact that Michael had to find a ‘hot guy’ to date and that he considered Calum hot. That was Calum’s sense of humor, he would have had a laugh.

Michael keeping that from him for three months definitely wasn’t funny.

They were at a party somewhere on campus, various drunk students stumbling around with their drinks sloshing out of their cups and spilling on unsuspecting party goers. Michael and Calum are off towards the side with their own drinks, though they aren’t exactly paying attention to them. Their lips are locked together in a furious make out session, Michael with his back pressed against the wall and Calum’s lips working themselves against Michael’s. They loud music roars in their ears as Michael loops a finger in Calum’s belt hook, pulling him closer and the music make it impossible to hear anything else but Calum’s whispers of how beautiful Michael was.

Of course, someone had to come and ruin it all.

“Cal!” a voice yells over the music, bumping themselves into the boys and making them pull apart. There’s a mess of hair on the guy’s head and he’s constantly pushing it back out of his face as he speaks to Calum, hands moving wildly. “I got that money for you!”

Calum looks like he’s about to punch the guy in the face, his eyes wide and his lips tight. “Ashton, not now.” He hisses, eyes moving towards Michael and suddenly Michael feels like he’s a part of some inside thing he wasn’t aware of. “Can we talk about this later?”

Ashton wasn’t letting up. “Nah, why later when we can do it right now? I remember the terms, twenty bucks if you found someone on that stupid website that would actually go out with, remember? I told you I’d get you your money once I got paid and I forgot, but I remembered so!” He hands a wad of dollar bills to Calum before placing a wet kiss on the boy’s cheek, cheering before wandering off back towards the party.

Michael feels sick, and he’s pretty sure it’s not from the alcohol in his system. He’s looking at Calum with hurt in his eyes, because he was played. He was nothing but a bet to Calum.

Then again, Michael did the same thing, so he knows he shouldn’t be so upset.

“Mikey,” Calum starts, looking down at the money in his hands and back up at his boyfriend. “I was going to tell you eventually, I really was I promise.” He looks genuinely sorry, the sad puppy dog look on his face as he looks at Michael with sadness.

“Let me get this straight,” Michael says, stopping Calum from any further conversation. “You made a bet with your friend that if you could find someone on that dating website to go out with you, you would get twenty bucks?”

Calum bites his bottom lip. “That sounds even worse when you say it out loud. God, I’m really sorry I’m such an idiot.” He runs a hand through his hair nervously, trying to think of something to say. He least expects it when Michael bursts out laughing, a look of confusion washing over him. “I think I missed something, what’s so funny?”

“I did the same thing,” Michael says, pulling Calum closer to him and wrapping his arms around Calum’s neck. “Three months ago, I wanted to get back into the dating scene. My friend Luke made a bet with me that if I could find someone hot on there to date me, he would give me twenty bucks.” He loves the smile that appears on Calum’s face as he says those words, another giggle coming from his mouth. “We are so fucking stupid.”

“That we are,” Calum says before pulling Michael into another deep kiss, laughing in between kisses. “I can’t believe the two of us dated each other as a bet and we are not yelling at each other right now.”

Michael shrugs, dumping his beer into the grass and tossing the cup away before intertwining his fingers with Calum’s free hand. “We’re a strange couple, that’s why. Besides, if you were just a bet to me I would have broken up with a long time ago. You are so much more than that to me Calum Hood.” He pecks the boy’s soft cheek as Calum smiles at him brightly.

“Same goes for me,” Calum tells him as they leave the party, hands intertwined as they head back towards their dorms with bright smiles. “Nice to know you picked me for my good looks.”

Michael groans, shoving him lightly. “Shut up.”


End file.
